Here on Capitol Hill we share our ecosystem with odorous house ants, Tapinoma sessile. Normally, these little gals are not a problem, but over the last few winters we've been plagued with hundreds erupting into our kitchen, bathrooms, and into our basement. In natural habitats odorous house ants might have one queen, 50 workers, and and live in a walnut shell (sweet). They are one of the few ants that has adapted to urban environments, where they can now be be found in super-colonies with more than 6 million workers and 50,000 queens! Our local odorous house ants seem to love electronics (and movies too, apparently); we have found them nesting inside a clock radio, phone base, drill charger, and in a lamp. They also surprised us on Valentine's Day when we discovered them nesting in our DVD collection. Luckily, we have found that borax mixed with sugar water (make your own or purchase Terro) can be used to discourage them from taking over. Food grade diatomaceous earth also is effective and safe to use indoors. Want to know more? check out this Science Daily article.

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Tracey Byrne~I spent most of the 1980s and 90s in Alaskaflying airplanes, floating wild rivers, winter camping, raising a wild child, and living off the grid :^)

With my MAT in Advanced Inquiry for Biological Sciences, I've taught K-12 students from north of the Arctic Circle to the Puget Sound Ecoregion, garnering over thirty years experience as a classroom teacher, learning mentor, and private tutor.

Here in Seattle, I am an advocate for environmental stewardship, place-based education, and outdoor play. I share my enthusiasm for birds, bugs, and backyards as a writer/photographer for Pacific Horticulture.